Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners

Gardening is a hobby enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. One common drawback with traditional outdoor gardening, however, is that you are only able to grow what Mother Nature allows. Changing weather and temperatures through the seasons prohibits growing of your favorite vegetables and flowers all year long. The perfect solution for this dilemma is greenhouse gardening. Greenhouse gardening for beginners is really quite simple once you have purchased and set up your greenhouse.

Your greenhouse is already equipped to provide the basic necessities of light and warmth; however, there are a few additional resources you will need to supply. As water is crucial to plant growth, you will need to set up a watering system or make sure that a water source is easily accessible. You will also need to ensure that your greenhouse is equipped with proper ventilation. Furthermore, if you plan to grow plants all year long, you may need to set up additional heaters and artificial lights for winter days when natural sunlight is not enough.

To ensure that your plants are thriving, you need to maintain a steady temperature of around 80 degrees. Heaters will be needed to achieve this temperature during the winter months, but during early spring and fall it is possible to achieve steady temperatures without incurring additional heating costs. One great tip for beginners is to fill a few dark painted gallon containers with water and place them inside your greenhouse in areas that will receive direct sunlight. The water in these containers will heat up during the day and when the temperature drops at night the heat stored in the water will radiate throughout the greenhouse to keep the temperature constant.

When first setting up your greenhouse, you will need to experiment to find the best location for each of your plants. Large plants that require more sun should be put in the brightest areas, and their foliage can provide shade for smaller plants that require less direct sunlight. In setting up your greenhouse, you will need to do some research on the plants you intend to grow to make sure they are each placed in the best spot. A trip to your local gardening center will often provide all the information you need as their employees are knowledgeable on different types of plants and their required growing conditions. Another important tip for beginning gardeners is to store all fertilizers and chemicals away from your greenhouse. Being exposed to the moisture in a greenhouse can cause some chemicals to evaporate into the air which can damage your plants and be dangerous for your health.